Transmission Woes... need help... any and all advice considered...

**martini** · 11-06-2008 04:31 PM

so I have been having problems with my clutch dragging.. car wont go (or is giving me trouble going) into gear... i thought it was air in the slave cylinder, so i bled the slave cylinder... i kept thinking i wasn't bleeding it properly because the problem was still there...

i took it to the shop.. they bled the slave and problem is still there... at this point the guy at the shop is suspicious of the clutch kit - in particular the pressure plate.

i called up southbend (I run a southbend OFE SS) and they said it sounds like something may have went bad with the clutch and they suggested i pull the trans

i'm not really feeling that right now... i did the clutch the first time, and im just being lazy... however I don't want to spend 500+ on getting the trans pulled

before i start doing this... does anyone else have any idea of what may be going on?

should I just swap the trans while i have it off? im wondering if i should rebuild it, or swap it, or just re-install it

**vdubstreets** · 11-06-2008 04:41 PM

when you press down the clutch there is no pressure what so ever?
How many miles on the clutch?
further more how did you/the shop bleed the clutch by hand or using a pressureized bleeder?

**martini** · 11-06-2008 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by vdubstreets

when you press down the clutch there is no pressure what so ever?
How many miles on the clutch?
further more how did you/the shop bleed the clutch by hand or using a pressureized bleeder?

clutch feels pretty normal when i press it down... i think its just a tad light

i did not use a pressure bleeder.. but i believe the shop did (they work on exclusively german vehicles)

the clutch probably have less than 10k on it

**martini** · 11-07-2008 07:01 AM

ttt

**dougyfresh** · 11-07-2008 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by martini

should I just swap the trans while i have it off? im wondering if i should rebuild it, or swap it, or just re-install it

Have you encountered any syncro issues when shifting gears? If not, then I do not feel you need to touch the inside of the transmisssion.

Did the throw-out bearing and throw-out arm (that big arm the throw-out bearing and slave cylinder interact with) look good when you put the clutch in 10k ago? (probably should have replaced the bearing) If so, then they only thing I can think of (with my limited clutch diagnosis experience) could be the pressure plate not fully depressing. OR, perhaps that throw-out arm is not fully seated in the pivot point on the bellhousing causing it and the throw-out bearing to constantly stay depressed on the pressure plate.

You had access to a lift when installing the clutch. Does that still exist? If so, shouldn't be that difficult to pull the trans. Just time and effort really.

**Splattj** · 11-07-2008 07:43 AM

Did you have the flywheel resurfaced when the new clutch was put it? If the flywheel step height wasn't cut correctly, it would cause the clutch to drag from the getgo.
Pressure plate failure is more likely if it behaved properly for a while and then died later. Odds are, if bleeding the hydraulics didn't fix it, it's time to pull the trans and take a look.

**martini** · 11-07-2008 08:34 AM

flywheel was resurfaced...

throw out bearing was replaced when I did the clutch... didn't see anything odd with any of the parts

I've had a bit of grinding at times in third when i shift hard, but havent had and real major issues

heres the throw out bearing when I replaced it

**dougyfresh** · 11-07-2008 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by martini

I've had a bit of grinding at times in third when i shift hard, but havent had and real major issues

Those are your 3rd gear syncros. Common. Mine do the same thing in my 1.8 trans. I went to a 2.8 trans for the time being to eliminate it. If the money is there I plan on rebuilding my 1.8 trans with new syncros and a new 5th gear this winter. Then put that back into my car and sell the 2.8 trans.

**F16HTON** · 11-07-2008 11:07 AM

Unfortunately it appears you are going to have to drop the tranny and inspect the clutch.

**vinny.dtw** · 11-07-2008 11:50 AM

Did you take your car to Stefans Ryan? Or Motorwerks?

**martini** · 11-07-2008 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by vinny.dtw

Did you take your car to Stefans Ryan? Or Motorwerks?

arent they the same? I took it to GMW in waterford... stefans place

**vinny.dtw** · 11-07-2008 05:08 PM

There is German Motorwerks, and then another company that is called Motorwerks in Novi /Commerce area. Two different companies, but just making sure you went to Stefan.

**absolutegtr** · 11-07-2008 07:36 PM

Just pull it out......IIRC david pulled his out in like 1.5 hours...on jacks too

**martini** · 11-09-2008 12:21 PM

so.. as a last effort i went and extended the slave cylinder push rod to see if it would help... no good

i noticed the other day while driving it that if i put it in first before i come to a stop (about 5mph), it will slip right in... so i have been doing that for now.

i thought for a minute that perhaps the fact that i raised the idle speed of the car a little bit, that that was causing issues getting into 1st at zero speed (perhaps synchro related or something?).... but i lowered the idle speed back to the normal value and still had no luck

trannys going to come out on friday